Chapter 66

"Ororo, my dear Ororo, can you please stop treating me like this!" Zhou Yi hugged Ororo from behind, but she ruthlessly broke free. "Your attitude makes me very sad."

"Why don't you think about my feelings? I'm also very sad. Why didn't you consult me about such an important matter, and instead went straight to the professor? Do you think it's unnecessary to discuss it with me?"

Ororo was extremely agitated about Zhou Yi's plan to take a group of students on an outing. Her emotions became even more intense when she learned that a new student named Rogue was among those invited.

"Do you know how dangerous her situation is? We've been trying our best to protect her in the school. But you, you want to take her out. Do you know what kind of people are waiting for her outside?"

"I know!" Rubbing his temples, Ororo's reaction was giving him a headache. "Of course, I know who that guy is. The professor has already told me everything."

"You know?" Ororo's voice suddenly rose. "If you know, why are you still doing this? Wait, you did this on purpose! The professor asked you to help deal with that person?"

When she said this, even Jean Grey, who had been sitting to the side with an indifferent look, turned to look at him in disbelief.

Under the gaze of the two women, Zhou Yi felt immense pressure. He shrugged勉强地，装作一副无所谓的模样。

"The professor said he has a plan and needs a little help from me."

"This is too reckless. You shouldn't be involved. You'll be in danger. No, I have to go talk to the professor." Ororo pushed the door open and walked out, looking at Zhou Yi seriously before leaving. "Promise me, you won't leave here until I come back."

"Of course, I swear!" He held up three fingers, making a solemn vow. Although everyone knew he didn't believe in God, they also knew his promises had never failed. So Ororo left with peace of mind.

After she left, Jean Grey turned to Zhou Yi and said seriously, "You should know, she's not being unreasonable. She's just very worried about the children and your safety." As Ororo's friend, despite having another identity between the three of them, Jean was still doing what a friend should do. "You're different from us. You're not a mutant. Magneto won't show mercy to humans."

"Of course, I understand what kind of person Ororo is. So you don't need to worry about me." He took a few steps closer to Jean, almost touching her face, and asked, "Compared to your worry, I'm more interested in what you think. How do you feel, hearing that I'm about to face the big boss of the mutant world?"

Jean gently pushed Zhou Yi's chest, which was getting closer, and looked around nervously. After confirming no one else was around, she lowered her voice. "Are you crazy? This is a school, not a place for you to act recklessly."

"Alright, I'll be more careful next time." He smiled mischievously but didn't let up. "But you have to tell me what you think. Don't tell me you're not worried at all, or I'll be heartbroken."

She gave him an exasperated look and had to answer honestly. "Alright, I admit it. I'm very worried about you, this bad guy, I'm almost worried to death."

"Very good!" Rubbing his slightly stubbly chin, Zhou Yi smiled like a fox who had just stolen a chicken. "To be so deeply concerned by the beautiful Miss Jean Grey is a great honor for me. Does this mean that I, who has been chosen by Miss Jean Grey, am also an outstanding man?"

"You're the only one who can talk like that!" Jean Grey laughed at Zhou Yi's exaggerated words.

Strictly speaking, their relationship was a bit ambiguous. But neither of them felt that way. On one hand, they hadn't made their relationship public, and on the other, they both enjoyed the thrill of their secret relationship.

Men always have a bit of a roving eye, and women aren't always well-behaved cats. Although it might be unfair to Jean's nominal boyfriend, Zhou Yi really felt that the gloomy guy was far inferior to him and didn't deserve Jean.

Their conversation continued, but the topic shifted to other matters. After all, this was a school with many people around, and they didn't want to make things awkward. Besides, even the closest relationships need shared topics and interests to maintain them.

Like now, to others, they seemed to be discussing current politics and cutting-edge technology, but in their eyes, they were using these topics to deepen their bond.

"Have you heard that Osborn Industries has made a breakthrough in their advanced genetic research? Do you know what it's about?"

"The data Osborn Industries sent me says they've made some progress in genetic engineering. They seem to have completed preliminary experiments on a small insect, creating a super spider. But unfortunately, it's just a show for outsiders."

"What do you mean?" Jean Grey leaned in, eager to listen. As a mutant, she had a high level of expertise in this field, but her identity made her less accepted by most scientists. Without a suitable network, she found it hard to get first-hand cutting-edge information, so she relied on Zhou Yi for much of her information.

This was one of the key ways Zhou Yi initially approached this intelligent beauty. Even now, with their close relationship, it remained an important way to maintain their bond.

"The genetic engineering project started a long time ago, but after the researcher who initiated it passed away, it has been stagnant for over a decade. Even those few spiders are the work of the deceased researcher."

"Is that so, what a pity." Jean Grey sighed, feeling regret. The world of science is like that. Mediocre talents can only maintain the status quo but can't drive progress. The ones who truly advance science are always the geniuses who far surpass their peers.

"Indeed, it's quite a pity. But Osborn has a decent researcher, and his experimental projects seem to have made some progress, especially in bioengineering."

"Osborn Industries always seems to be researching bioengineering. I wonder if they're a weapons company or a medical company." Jean Grey grumbled a bit about Osborn's situation, then her eyes twinkled. "Let me guess, who is the decent researcher you're talking about?"

"Go ahead, do you need a small hint?" Zhou Yi leaned against the desk, finding a more comfortable position to continue the conversation.

"Absolutely not!" Jean Grey's eyes sparkled, and she quickly got her answer. "It's Professor Curt Connors, right? I read his articles a long time ago. He has unique insights into biological regeneration, but it's a pity that his progress hasn't been smooth."

"Apparently, he has had some results with animals, but it's still under observation." Confirming Jean's guess, Zhou Yi explained in more detail. "He seems to have found the regeneration factor in lizard genes and has already extracted it. However, due to the company's situation, his experiments can't proceed further."

"What happened? Is there a problem with Osborn Industries?" A large international company's problems can affect many aspects of society. Even mutants care about their fate because they indirectly affect mutant life.

"The Osborn family has a hereditary disease, and the current Mr. Osborn is not doing well." Zhou Yi shrugged, showing his helplessness about the current situation. "To maintain the company's stability, the shareholders have decided to stop all unnecessary development projects until the company stabilizes."

"Well, it looks like Professor Connors' dream will have to wait a bit longer." Jean showed some sympathy. Curt Connors is a rare disabled scientist whose main goal is to cure his disability. If his experiments are put on hold, it means he is further from recovery, which is tragic for anyone.

"There's nothing we can do. We have to consider more." As a shareholder, Zhou Yi had no choice. A large company's stability affects the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people, so it must be handled carefully. In comparison, Professor Connors' personal issues are much less significant.

Understanding Zhou Yi's awkward position, Jean didn't continue the topic and changed the subject to Zhou Yi's travel experiences. They continued their enthusiastic conversation until someone walked in.

"Miss Jean, are you here?" The person who entered was a man of average height but very muscular.

He had a distinctive hairstyle and beard, giving him a wild, animal-like appearance. His rugged looks and the unintentional military demeanor made him exude a mature, manly aura. His small actions, like casually looking around and sniffing, indicated that he was not very secure inside. Given his tough appearance, he was either deeply hiding his true nature or had experienced many heavy things that made him wary.

"Is he a friend of yours?" Zhou Yi tilted his head and asked Jean.

Jean stood up and introduced them to each other.

"Yi, this is Logan, a new mutant at the school. Logan, this is Zhou Yi. He's not a mutant, but his sister is one of us, so he has a good relationship with us."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Logan. I'm Zhou Yi. I believe we'll get to know each other better in the future."